Have a piece of cake...

...graduation cake that is.

As promised, here's the graduation party review:

Well, it was party!! What else do you want me to say. Well goodBYE!!



Just Kidding.


Hmm....well, I was up till like 3 a.m. last night putting up these cool decorations ... and I was finally finishing mopping a floor as the guests got there!!

But it was great to unite both my mom's side and dad's side of the family together after there not having been such a reunion like this for some time now. I guess it takes a big event in someone's life that both sides hold dear to cause both sides to come together and socialize ... strange behavioral property of the human race if you ask me. But it was really strengthening to have both sides of the family here ... okay, don't get the warm fuzzies on me now...

There were balloons, there was gumbo, there was cake and ice cream, there were many many different snacks, there was conversation ... just your average party.

Couple more graduation gifts...

...and one more exciting thing happened.

The air conditioning quit about a half hour before guests started arriving ... yep. It's bound to quit just when you want it least. And if you know about New Orleans, Louisiana where I live ... you know it's blazing hot here ... so we opened up the doors to let some air in.

And now it's almost midnight but still quite steamy ... we've got all the windows open to stay comfortable while we sleep: no, that does not mean you can come rob our house now. We'll have the problem fixed soon anyway.

My mom worked tremendously hard to prepare the food and everything ... she's doing what she should be doing now ... resting and recuperating.

Graduation...STILL?

Yes, it seems as though one can reap the benefits of having graduated long after that special night.

After all:

It's why every teenager gets a mile-wide grin at the phrase, "graduation gifts."

From the free 12 pack of Coke and lawn chair from my place of employment (Sav-A-Center Supermarket) to hundreds of dollars from church and family members...it's, well, nice, rather.

More than nice, I'd say.

Also, I've gotten a microwave, sunglasses, tons of cash money, a book,...

...and get this.

A SONY Atrac3plus/MP3 player. No doubt you know what an MP3 is and if not, too bad. But I'd never heard of an Atrac3plus CD. Listen up, boys n' girls:

There's this cd that came with the player. It's got software called SonicStage that can create these "atrac" CDs ... which are capable of handling...well, loads of music files.

I've only created one so far...but, that was enough to load almost my entire music library (which isn't that big...yet). Yep: 32 albums, 404 songs. On one CD. Quite impressive, eh? Maybe I'm just easily impressed, maybe not: but I think that's impressive.

Although the sound quality isn't as top-notch, notably with acoustic stuff, and only MY CD-player will play this CD.

Anyhow, here's the best gift yet...and it's from my parents.

It's sitting out in the driveway. A 1989 Buick LeSabre with only about 117,000 miles on it, great AC, engine, etc...great condition, $1,500. Praise God! I really like it...great first car, 3.1 liter (I think) V-6 engine. We washed, compounded, put 2 coats of wax on it, armor-alled it, windexed windows, changed spark plugs/air filter, vaccuumed it, added some air in the tires...and now it's ready and raring for action!!

And also: tomorrow, Memorial Day, we have my graduation party. Dinner promises to be a winner with a main course of GUMBO. Yummy indeed.

We're almost finished decorating, I just mopped the floor...so I'll update the world of cyberspace on all the loads of fun it will have been (present imperfect verb tense I think)...

...some time soon.

Till then, keep it real. Ah, I could go on for a minute about that. The Society For Keeping It Real. It was a bit of a blunder...originally intended to be a joke on a message board I'm a member of...but only a couple chuckles. Ach! No one appreciates a dry sense of humor any more these days...

...maybe it's me. I'll keep trying..

But till then, try and have a laugh will ya? "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." No it's not a Shakespeare quote sillyhead, it's actually from the Biblical book of Proverbs,

So cheerio and smile.

--The Josh-ter.

Pomp and Circumstance

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

I'm done with high school! But graduation was so fun, I already miss high school!

Friday was a busy day with preparations and a nice dinner, a few toasts, and finally off to Pearl River High School to assemble for a photo...then line up for the processional.

To the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" played by the band we marched out onto the football field, as our relatives screamed support from the stands. Shaking a little in my shoes, I took my seat on the stage and took in the view. I concentratedly tried to remain calm and confident waiting for my turn to approach the microphone.

After Aimee White's beautifully thought-provocative speech, I hear Erin Ballantyne, our class President, say something like, "We will now hear from our valedictorian, Joshua Clayton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Clayton...". ***GULP*** **heart rate speeds up**

**steps up to mic, adjusts it to accomodate height**...

"Good evening, Class of 2004. Don't you love rollercoasters? I know I do. The most exciting rollercoaster ride any of us will ever have taken is surely the first; one can never know quite what to expect. We can never tell what our reaction will be to that first ride. We can only stand in line waiting for the beginning of what will either have us wild with fear or saturated with ecstasy. All of us experienced that same feeling of uncertainty four years ago when we ventured onto the campus of this school as freshmen. Look at us now. We are now four years stronger, surer, and, hopefully, a little bit smarter. I believe I speak for us all in thanking our families, friends, and faculty for their indispensable support. Through love, sweat, tears, hugs, encouragement, and perseverance, you, our loved ones and teachers, have comforted us during the ride. When the coaster took us upside down, you held us tighter. When we asked, “Is it over yet?”, your assuring presence gave us the energy to press on another day in the classroom, in the sports arena, in our pursuits, and on our jobs. We thank you for your essential care and guidance.
While we’ve finally finished the high school rollercoaster and are all boasting about how well we handled this, our first ride, there are some other coasters in the park left to ride, my friends. This fact leads me to ask us a question. Is tonight the end or the beginning? When, in a few short moments, we receive the most important certificate of our lifetime, do we “have it made”? Our class motto tells us to not settle for only what we can live with. Graduates, I implore you to think about what we have learned together and what we, going our separate ways, must now do to thrive in a new life.
Before we leave PRHS behind, though, I would like to say a few more things about rollercoasters. One place I recently enjoyed visiting is a recreational facility that opened in the same year we were mere freshman. This place is Six Flags New Orleans, which used to be Jazzland. While there, I noticed that life is like a rollercoaster; you have several different choices you can make. First of all, you can go to the “kiddy” section and pretend to take care of a younger brother or sister. The problem is that while you take no risk, you also are rewarded with little thrill or satisfaction that you have conquered fear. If you’re a tad bolder, you can ride the Mega Zeph, which moves very quickly but is predictable as you see each turn approaching. If you really want to prove you are daring, ride the Batman, where you are subject to twisting and turning in any direction at a second’s notice. Just like the Batman coaster, life is most rewarding when you are willing to push beyond your comfort zone, confident of your identity. When you ride the Batman, you are confident in the strength of the structure; in life, you must be confident in your identity.
Speaking of identity, I have a closing story. I did not mention that when I was at this theme park recently, I lost my class ring on one of the coasters. There’s no denying the frustration I encountered. I was, however, forced to consider the meaning of that ring. Was I the same person, a successful, graduating senior, without that ring, as I had been with the ring? Yes, I was, and I am. Perhaps, you have had a certain reputation during high school, which you may have liked or disliked. Remember the Biblical proverb, “He that is despised and hath a servant is better than he that honoreth himself and lacketh bread.” Know this:
when you look back on your life, it will not be the opinions of anyone else that will have formed who you are and the mark you have left. The future is determined by your willingness to try.
Tonight, you may have in mind a new rollercoaster you feel ready to try out. You’re tired of being branded by people with a stereotypical label. All you need to do to overcome these limitations placed on you is to try. Just take the first step onto the ride; do not limit yourself from a dream you have because of what someone else thinks you can or cannot do. Remember Shakespeare’s words: “Cowards die a thousand times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once.” Let us treasure this evening and savor the triumph, but when it is done, Class of 2004, please don’t just go round and round on the carousel. Be ambitious and become the generation to bring about edifying changes in our society. Will you choose the “kiddy” ride or the Batman rollercoaster?"

Okay, now I could breathe and just take in the rest of the ceremony. Toss my hat at the end, all that.

Project Graduation afterward. All night lock in with multiple games. I played games to get "money" to put chances in for several prizes, i.e. refrigerator, T.V., etc.

I put all my chances in either the fridge or digi. camera drawing...didn't win anything but had lots of fun.

A few highlights of the lock-in:

1. Being on the winning team for Tricycle Race
2. Being one of 3 winners for the limbo
3. Finally beating someone at boxing and the chute race
4. Busting my behind jumping on this air mattress everyone was sitting on...yes, I successfully surprised everyone, but ended up sinking through to the floor, seriously injuring my tailbone and pride

It was great fun, though. Is it only girls who are supposed to cry...? I didn't [cry], no one did, we were all like wasted and tired. So then I slept Saturday away, and here I am now...

...several graduation presents later...

...but this stuff is so temporary. What a letdown. Oh well. Now I've got LSU to look forward to.

Debit or credit?

Hello. How are you doing today, ma'am? Good. Did you find everything okay today? That's good. **boop boop boop**. Oh, you have 3 of these? - They're all Pepsi products?-okay. Sure. (Sir, it'll be just a second, she had to run back to get a pizza). Okay, got it, ma'am. **boop boop boop**. Now here's how it works, I have to card if you look under the age of 40. Yes, I'm serious. Okay, there you go. Some people have taken it as a compliment. **chuckle chuckle**. **boop boop boop boop boop boop boop boop boop**. Okay, coupon, there. **boop boop boop boop boop**. Do you have your bonus reward card with you today? Okay...there you go. Okay, ma'am, total is $102.50. Debit or credit? Okay. Right, press the green button. Mm-hmm. Okay, I need you to sign this, here. Thank you, have a nice day.

Hey sir, how we doing today?

Ah, cashiering. It really is a wonderful thing.

Busy upcoming week

This promises to be a busy week, as it's the week I finally put high school behind me.

Today we spent all day in church/eating out/meeting a new family my Dad knows.

Monday I return to Sav-a-Center.

Tuesday I get immunizations in the morning (for college requirements...and society in general) and work till 9:00 afterwards.

Wednesday I have graduation rehearsal in the morning and the senior class picnic in the afternoon.

Thursday I have a lunch in the afternoon with cousin's family and attend my cousin's graduation that evening.

Friday at 8 p.m. I graduate, and give the commencement speech, will all week, I need to keep polishing up so that my delivery is smooth.

Friday night - Saturday morning - Project Graduation - a lock-in party for Pearl River High School's C/O 2004 at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.

Saturday - sleep to recover after all that stuff.

And then after a possible mini-vacation next week and other stuff, I'll finally be working full-time (part-time summer job) at the supermarket for the summer...need to start saving money as I'm about to get a motor vehicle and will be picking up the hefty car insurance payment at first...

Beautiful Day

No, the title doesn't refer to the U2 song, silly. It refers to, well, TODAY!

Why not tell the world of cyberspace as I know it takes a great interest in my affairs:

Woke up sometime after 10 a.m. Ah, precious sleep now that I'm free of high school. Hearty breakfast, shower, etc. Devotional time. Then chatted on INSTANT MESSENGER (see my last post for some weird thoughts on the subject) with a British girl and American guy who seem to be in love...yeah, I know. Interesting. Then some, um...slightly boring legal work for my father, an defense attorney practicing mainly in personal injury and workers' compensation claims. It's rather neat...using the transcription machine, and booting out legal work. Then I tried to start to clean Mother's kitchen floor...but OH MY! 4 p.m. was there before I knew it, so I left my younger brother Matt to clean while I went to work, Sav-a-Center supermarket. No customer service, for which I'm grateful. I worked the express register, even better. Maybe it's a mental thing, but it just seems easier dealing with 10 items/customer at one time. This was my 3rd day at work. I am really actually starting to feel rather comfortable with the job, so hallelujah. Came home to eat, joked around with my parents for like an hour (so yes, fellow teenagres, anything can happen), and here I am @ 11:06 p.m. CST, USA typing this little meaningless blurb.

Okay, okay, sorrrrrry. I'll try not to post something next time unless it's actually meaningful. Whatever that means.

My thoughts on the wonderful "IM"

Instant coffee. Instant gratification. Instant food preparation. Instant this and instant that. We live in an instant society. To quote a song, "We want it all and we want it now." The world is quickly becoming a fast-food, fast-paced dreamworld where everything is expected to work at the speed of an electromagnetic wave. (F.Y.I., my physics teacher this past year informed me that light is one such wave and it moves at the speed of - 3.0 X 10^8 m/s - which is, well, rather fast.)

So along with everything else instant is the..TADA, WALA - the instant messenger. I always liked the instant food stuff, albeit unhealthy...but for some reason it took me a while to finally do the instant messenger thing. I mean, e-mails were person-specific, message boards were more reflective ... who needed this IM thing, I thought.

People bugged me at school: "Josh man, get AOL messenger. It's free." It's almost like a dentist trying to sell you a dental check-up. I was expecting them to say, "It's painless, too." Well, maybe not...

But I always would say, "Okaay, okaaaaaaaay." And I never would "get around to it."

Then I joined a message board. And someone kept bugging me to download MSN messenger. I was forever 'about to get around to it,' till finally I got worn out by the constant nagging.

Well, if she ever reads this, Shasha: I thank you for your nagging.

I now have MSN 6.1 and it's - well, rather nice.

I mean, you can acquire as small or as large a list of "buddies" as you want. And whenever they're online you can just go ahead and chat with them live. Seems cool enough. Seems high-tech enough.

And I will admit, it's rather fun. It's neat meeting new people and not having to utter anything intelligible to belong...

Wait a minute, did you just catch that?

Yes, I have a couple of problems with this "instant messenger" thing.

a) It's a problem I have with "internet communication." Internet dating, internet emails, internet chatting ... et-cetera et-cetera et-cetera. But what kind of a society are we becoming? Apparently one in which verbal communication is less popular and cyberchat is - well, "in." You have the feeling that you're meeting this new person "Suzy", when really as you hammer away at the keys of your keypad - you're really, merely, unforunately - only communicating, in essence, with an IDEA. For all you know, this could be the matrix...just kidding. But really, what is the person you're "chatting" with really like? If you met him/her in real life, could you even remain in the same room without cursing each other out? Instant messages give you this sense of importance/urgency in really meeting new people when really - you're just talking with an idea. Just as is the case with me typing this right now - I've just publishing this post to empty cyberspace - no one may ever read it. Wow. Esoteric, man.

b) Instant messenger is rather *mindless. You're sitting there saying things like, "yo," "lol," ROFlol," "brb," "ok," "haha," "hehe," "ya," "no," "cool," "imho," and other cheesy little abbreviations that are really desensitizing when it comes to cranial activity. And I don't know about you, but when I get the urge to "talk" to someone and send them a little IM - I don't end up talking about the deeper things in life. I usually come out feeling that both of us are dumber than I thought humans are supposed to be. It's always cheesy little, "how's the weather," "what's your age/sex/location," "what are your hobbies," "hope life's treating you well," and "hey, this was great, let's chat again soon" thing --- and this same process is repeated *over and *over and *over again - with hundreds of other often nameless, faceless cyber identities that we take for granted are actually - people - on the other end of the phone line.

c) Last but not least: oh my. The slaughter of the English language. Sure, a "hey dude" or "wuzzup" is sweet when you're hanging out with friends and using VERBAL communication. But has our society become so dumbed down that when we go behind the modern pen of humanity - the electronic typewriter - we babble meaningless internet jargon like "lol" and "imho" every other second? I mean, just look at all the misspellings that occur with instant messages and chat. We're so intrigued that we're talking with someone (I know I was/am) on the other side of the world - that we let our fingers run faster than our brains can move - and we inevitably type stuff that doesn't make sense. And most of the time we just reply to the other person with an impersonal "LOL". I felt so stupid the first time I asked someone what "LOL" stood for...but you know what...it's rather a strange idea, reducing God's gift of language to a series of catchy phrases and capital letters. Frightening even - that the way we speak in slang - is now subconsciously taking over our written communication now...

...notably in the little mindless escape known as...

...instant messenger.

Now that I've torn IM's apart, let me say they are fun, though mindless: and mindless is good sometimes.

I'm just looking at a society where we seem to be having less and less intelligent recreation forms.

And look at my profile - I'm 17 years old. I'm not an old grandpa just griping with nothing better to do. I'm just thinking about what's happening to the brains of US - my generation.

Okay, now that that's out the way...

Okay, if you're just finding this, my little site, you can review the last 8 posts are so (since I started the site) to get to know me a little more and where I'm coming from.

With that out the way, I can comfortably feel like I've got my own little site going, my own little chunk of cyberspace, albeit's only a blog.

Now, let's have a laugh. You want a laugh? Okay, good.

There are 2 methods I present for you to obtain a laugh. And they both deal with chicken. Yes, that's right, chicken. As in the thing that runs around with its head cut off, the bird that eats its own poop, the white meat that tastes so great, especially if its from Popeye's or KFC. That kind of chicken.

If you're in a thoughtful mood, check out www.chickenjoke.com

If you're in an airheaded mood, check out www.subservientchicken.com

Thinking about purity?

I'm sure trying to live purity by God's grace, that's for sure. Here are some thoughts:

“SANCTIFICATION”

Topic: Sanctification
2 Elements of Sanctification:
1. purity
2. being “set apart”

Opening Text: I Thessalonians 4: 3-4
“Know how to possess his vessel in sanctification”: As Christians, we have been called by Jesus to live a pure life--one that is separated from the things of this world.

What are the things of this world?
Some examples are drugs/alcohol, sexual sins, unclean language, ungodly entertainment, pride, anger, idolatry, rebellion, violence, and any thing that is something Jesus would not have partaken of.

So: sanctification is living our lives in a way that distinguishes, or makes us look different from the world.

Jesus looked different from the world:
a) At 12 yrs. old, instead of being out playing with the other kids, he was preaching in the temple.
b) He chose to go out into the desert and not eat anything, but pray to God for 40 days/nights.
c) He chose to live a life that eventually had him killed by crucifixion.

2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Ways to Become Sanctified (A Good Witness):

1. Read the Word. Ps. 119:9 says that young people can become pure by obeying the Word. You must read to know what is says and obey it. See also John 17:17.
2. WWJD? 1 Pe. 2:21 speaks of the fact that Jesus left us an example to follow through his own life. What he does we should do, and what he doesn’t do, we shouldn’t do.
3. Talk to Him--get to know Him! John 16:24 tells us that we haven’t prayed to Him, and therefore we haven’t received anything from him.

“Heart Guard”

Purity involves many different things. We have to watch our actions…abstain from unclean stuff, sin. But the place where purity starts is in the heart.

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life.”

The biggest component of purity, especially emotional purity is purity in the heart. This involves not allowing sin and attitudes to creep in that would defile our hearts.
The heart is the seat of the emotions…it guides our lives…it is who we are.

Mark 7:15, 18-23

Here the Bible explains that our purity can be lost because of what we allow to live in our hearts…cause what is in our hearts will eventually come out as sin.

Bad stuff contaminating our hearts can include…premature romantic relationships, pornography, premarital sex, abusive language, gossip, anger, unforgiveness, jealousy, bitterness, grudges, and hatred.

A “biggie” is attitudes that we allow to develop in our hearts. Often anger our holding a grudge against someone can grow and take over parts of our heart. Jesus doesn’t dwell in these parts, so this prevents us from serving Him with all our hearts.

Ways to maintain a pure heart:
• Pure relationships—Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” True agape love will not prefer itself or seek self-gratification…
• Diet of the Word of God—Psalm 119:9 “How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
• Personal relationship with Jesus…
• Be careful what we see and hear…when impure thoughts, feelings, and attitudes show up, cast them down immediately, confess them to God, repent, and ask for his help.

Keeping our hearts pure ensures that our actions will be pure and allows our lights to shine.

“Losing This Life”

Yes, purity involves freedom from sexual sin, pure thoughts, pure heart, and honor in relationships.

But another aspect of purity is surrender. “Losing our own lives.”

Main text: Mark 8:34-38
Esp. v. 35 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

I John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

John 17:15 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

If we’re going to have eternal life, we’ve got to lose our desire to live for ourselves. There has to take place this new attitude in us, like “God, I’m living for you and not for myself.” That’s what purity is about. It’s about being separated. It’s laying down what we want so Christ can be exalted.

There are instances where we have to sacrifice things we want to please God.
iNTERACTiVE: What’s a time you have had to sacrifice something for God?
In the daily grind, it’s easy to forget God. What are some things that distract us, take our attention off God, get us emotions wrapped up?
Jesus Freaks: “Unwilling to Pay the Price” : What would we have done?

“HOW MUCH IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?”

Open with dcTalk quote and “The Thundering Legion”, from Jesus Freaks
And then summarize

Questions:
• --Have you ever encountered a time where you had to choose between Jesus and something else…between obedience to Him or doing what you want to do?

• --What is a martyr?...Someone who is willing to die for his or her belief. In Christianity, it means “one who chooses to suffer death rather than to deny Jesus Christ and His work.”

• --Can anyone guess how many martyrs there were world-wide last year? Estimated 170,000! Martyrdom is not just something that happened in the Roman times!!
-----------
In America, we are not forced with the hard decision of having to die for our faith. But would we be strong enough to stand for God if someone threatened to kill us if we didn’t deny Jesus Christ was our Savior?
-----------
Main Text: 2 Corinthians 4:10-11
That’s an earful: We must die to what we want to do and let God take over. When we live our lives the way we want to (in sin), then we don’t have eternal life. But if we “kill” whatever stuff would keep us from God, our spirits will come alive.

WAYS TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH JESUS MEANS TO YOU:
• --Your friend invites you over for a video games tournament on a Sunday morning. You have the choice of hanging with your friends or giving God his due time on HIS day on Sunday at church. What do you do?
• --You’re sitting at lunch chilling with the in-crowd and somehow the topic that you’re a Christian comes up. You have the choice of just blowing it off or affirming that you ARE a Christian and love Jesus.
• -- (big one) You’re on a date or with a friend of the opposite sex and he/she says, “Come on, let’s have sex. God doesn’t mind us having a little fun, right? He knows we’re human…and like they say, boys will be boys!” You have the choice of having sex and ignoring God’s word not to or taking a stand because you don’t want to displease the God you serve.

WAYS TO LEARN TO VALUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP W/JESUS MORE:
1. Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
2. Learn who God is, so you’ll appreciate Him. Do this by spending time w/Him.
3. Ask Jesus to help you prioritize so that He is first.
4. Ask God to help you to not be selfish. Time permitting: Matt. 25:41-45

FOR MORE GREAT STUFF ON PURITY THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, VISIT THE WEBSITE OF THIS AWESOME YOUTH GROUP I'M A PART OF: www.passion4purity.com

WHOOOO - Random Concert Review

I went to my first delirious concert a month ago at a theme park and wrote the following *random* review. Not polished, just in its raw turbulent excitement. It was quite an experience. Thought you might want to hear about it.

If delirious is ever in town, go see them. The music and the message, with these boys, is equally important. And they both will rock your world.

Wow. Yes, riding the Batman and the Jester @ Six Flags New Orleans Theme Park was fun but couldn’t compare to the evening of worship we experienced under the open starry skies of the marshlands of southern Louisiana. It was truly a night to remember. It was my first time seeing delirious live, and I must say it was much more than I expected. There’s really no way to describe it.

From the moment I saw Stu G walking on stage with his confident smile till shaking hands with him after the concert, it was definitely a special evening I will never forget.

I don’t know why I was so impressed…but for some reason I didn’t expect them to be in such a … worshipful … mood. It, I repeat, was MUCH more than I expected. How can they be so awesome and manage to point you to God at the same time? Kudos.

And pardon me for being blunt, but how is it that a bunch of people left after Kutless was done? Like ½ the peeps!! I mean, Kutless sounded like music at least but some of the other bands with their head-banging antics just tapped into my testosterone without ever tapping into my soul or spirit. Once again, kudos…to delirious, that is, for actually displaying MUSICAL talent. I never thought I’d enjoy a live version of a song more than the studio…but Stu G just has that way of reinventing songs like God in Heaven and Investigate…and dare I say that Inside Outside sounded MUCH MUCH better tonight than listening to it as Track 5 on World Service?

Okay, okay let me gather my thoughts.

First of all, I got Jon (76)’s setlist. I had to ask some dude cleaning up to give it to me cos the band had left and the police wouldn’t let us on stage…I got it and had all the band sign it…so cool! [:D]

Hey guess what! They opened with FEEL IT COMING ON!! It so totally was awesome!! I was like the only one that knew the words though!! Tut, tut. Okay, I’d post the setlist on the web but I don’t have a scanner so you’ll have to take my word for it, but to try and prove it at the top it says, “ ic productions” in a box and in small type underneath says “D Set List New Orleans 10th April 2004” and here’s the list:

Feel It Coming On
Rain Down
Mountains (short) (d.i.t. River)
Glorious
I Could Sing
Inside Outside
Majesty
Deeper
Happy Song
God in Heaven
History Maker

Investigate/Grace ??
There is a Light

(also there were many other spontaneous bits I can’t remember.)
(also they didn’t actually do GLAR)

And it says “76” in the top right corner. Jon was so friendly when I talked to him afterwards…cool dude. But I asked Martin about his Billy Graham shirt and was like “you all need to come back to New Orleans we need your anointing” and everything, he was SOO humble!! He just smiled politely, like “Okay, it’s alright, crazed fan.” I felt convicted that I needed to chill out a bit. [:p] And if Tim’s smile as he’s signing doesn’t get ya to smilin’ nothing will!! And I told Jon I was expecting them to open with Grace, he just said, “Uh yeah we usually do open with that but we tried Feel It Coming On this time.” That’s about all the chat I had with them. But it was so awesome meeting them and shaking their hands…but that’s at the end of gig…

Okay, so they rocked the house with FICO, then went into Rain Down which everybody knew…and by the time Dance in the River came, the wives and kids were dancing onstage!! That was so cool! Those little kids are a TRIP!! Glorious wasn’t as heavy as I expected but good, I Could Sing was all acoustic, Inside Outside was AWESOME…

Let’s skip to the Happy Song…not cause it’s my favorite, but cause Martin ventured out on top of the crowd and I was one of the guys holding him up as he came to a stand still!! Actually that was at the end of Deeper and after concluding, he tried to get down and said in his little dignified accent “Alright guys could ya help me down?” We basically said, “No you’re staying up there!” I know we were bad weren’t we? But we were having so much fun!! And for all you people who hate the happy song…this was a good time here. So he just stayed up there the whole time!! [8D] And people were handing him hats to wear while he sung…he was wearing 3 hats lol!! And we just went wild. I must admit he has a good sense of balance…staying up there the whole time with us just holding his legs up!! He appeared to not really mind being “forced” to be up there for so long!! Hehe. Eventually at the end we capitulated and helped push him back to the stage.

And oh did I mention I was quite vocal as I was 10 feet from the stage? [:o)] I was always yelling stuff and I was probably the aggravating voice I’ve come to disdain a bit on Access:d yelling out that lone “Amen”…[:p]. And it was great, actually, Deeper started off slow and acoustic and I yelled, “Come on take it all the way!” right before they rocketed into the full version. [:D] And on God in Heaven I thought I recognized some light guitar chords from it during a quiet worshipful moment so I shouted out “do God in Heaven!!” twice…and when Mart started slowly singing the chorus I shouted “YEAH!!!” Stu kind of smiled and turned his head like “whoa!, okaaaay…”

I sweated so much and yelled so much I was soaked and had no voice at the end. I haven’t jumped ever in 1.5 hrs. so much in my life. Oh yea and after HM, Mart prophesied to this one guy in the crowd about “don’t run from God, He’s got a ministry for you, just not what you think, etc.” and he led us prayer that this young man would be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This band is so led by the Spirit it’s not funny.

And when they left, I got worried!! So I instinctively started yelling “encore encore encore” and other people joined and thank goodness they came back and delivered the best version of Investigate I’ve ever heard!! And as if to sum up their message, Martin lit a candle and held it up to sing There is a Light…and then they left us as the Lord’s Prayer recording played.

Oh yeah and they did “my heart burns for you” after history maker…and Martin sang some lines from something like “we’re getting stronger in every way” or something. It was worship and it was fun, too. And it was special. I’d go on but it’s so late and I’m a bit stressed cos…I won’t go that way…but I’ll say it was refreshing to say the least and it was my first d:gig so what can you expect but such a long review!!

I just wish they would’ve played Touch for some reason.

Oh yeah and Martin must have forgotten the 1st verse when he did Deeper cause he sang the 2nd verse twice!! And for the second verse of Majesty, he sang “knowing that I’m your desire sanctified by glory and fire” twice in a row. Special..unique!

It was so cool getting to actually see them and meet them afterwards after waiting for so long!! All I can say is that if you like their albums you’ll like their live performance that much better so see ‘em if they’re in town!! And don’t ride the Inverter ride if you’ve just eaten. [;)] does not promote digestion.

And more thing: for those of you who remember my missed gig in December…it was worth the wait for this. Thank You Jesus. [:)]

Oh and my favorite part?...easy. God in Heaven, definitely! That is soo awesome live, everyone learned the words quick and it was so passionate. Oh and the introduction was so cool too…it was random stuff like “delirious…world service…broadcasting” in the background on a recording…and then the band BURST into Feel it Coming On.

Blessings and more discussion on this unbelievable experience later,

History Maker

Confront the culture

Because I am dedicating these first few posts on this site to allowing you some insight into what's going on in this brain of mine and what's turning over in this spirit of mine, let's continue with a little confrontation.

Below is a one-minute speech I delivered at the 2004 Louisiana Governor's Program on Abstinence Spring State Convention in front of roughly 800 students and adults. I was a bit nervous but was privileged at this opportunity to kinda give a speech that's from the heart rather than being canned and well...just trite.

Check out the Governor's Program on Abstinence @ www.louisianagpa.com

“The Myth of Safe Sex”

“Safe” sex. Every time I hear that phrase I think of ignorance. As long as you or your partner is using a condom or spermicide it’s okay, right? Well if your answer is yes, you, like most of America’s population, have been dummied down.

Truth be told, yes, condoms prevent contraction of AIDS 85% of the time. But what about Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, Herpes, HPV? Condoms have ZERO clinical proof of effectiveness for each of these and many more sexually-transmitted diseases. So is it right to say that sex is “safe” if it only “saves” you from only one or two killer diseases? Give me a break!!! That’s like saying “drinking this glue will NOT make your toenails fall off but it WILL cause vomiting, paralysis, organ failure, and death” !!!

Okay, so you may resort to more “fail-safe” methods like withdrawal and not going “all the way”. But hey, Slick, you’re forgetting one thing: STDs are spread through mere sexual contact and it only takes a teeny-tiny cell to slip through and you’ve got a pregnancy on your hands.

And another word about condoms: if there happens to be a microscopic hole in the rubber, that STD’s gonna eat you for supper. And if a viral STD gets ahold of you, you’ll be stuck with it for life, if you do LIVE, that is.

So there’s no hope, right? WRONG. I’ll show you “safe sex.” Don’t “do the hustle” till you’ve said, “I do.”

Poetry

Laugh if you want. But there will always be a soft spot for poetry in my heart. And NO that doesn't make me a pansy. It means I'm a confident man. Okay this is just silly...there are plenty of cool guy poets, so. Whatever.

Anyway here are several of my compositions...

Have some poetry, dude...

"Inquiries of a Freak"

Is it a problem to believe?
Illegal to set a prisoner free?
Is it pride to take a stand?
Is the truth contraband?
Is it a weakness to be meek?
Is it the crazy men who seek?
Is it a sin to love the lost?
Am I a freak to bear my cross?
Am I a bigot to reject?
Are facts politically incorrect?
Is it love to numbly bide?
Is it grace to live a lie?
Is it improper to be obsessed?
Radical to leave the rest?
Is it ignorance to trust?
Wrong for Jesus to be a must?
Are we illuminated through denial?
Not worth it to go the extra mile?
Is it self-defense to condemn?
Not worth helping our fellow man?
Is it peace to harbor a grudge?
Uneconomic to give too much?
Is being faithful gullibility?
Is being patient lack of tenacity?
Is a shining light a public nuisance?
Its blinding tendency imprudence?
Is confrontation invading privacy?
If I compromise can I be really free?
Is covenanting archaic thinking?
Do these words have any meaning?

----------------------------------

"Homecoming"

The shining splendor emanating from the throne,
The richness of the invitation deeper than a thousand oceans brimming with eternity.
Resound, confound, the holy elements abound,
The smiling, illuminating Countenance invite into infinity,
Finally, once and for all.
The words I’ve heard confirmed the faith, the work--
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

------------------------------

"Untitled"

This is an anecdote,
A tale,
A story,
A chronicle
Of a man,
A man who writes a poem.

Below thou findest a rhyme,
For what reason God knoweth.
And here beginneth the poem:

I am bored
With nothing to say,
But desiring to write
I’m disposed to what’s trite.

Thank you kind reader for hearing my thoughts.
Though they be none my head hurts a lot.

—Joshua P. Clayton

Songwriting

It's been interesting for the past 2-3 months as I've had a deluge of songs stirred in my spirit. It's like I've been proverbially chained to my pen. The inspiration just kept flowin' and flowin' and I kept writin' and writin'. And when the Holy Spirit moves you to start composing - you just have to run with it while it's there. Seventy-three songs later, if I sit down to right a song, nothing comes. The flow of inspiration is done, at least for now.

I don't know if any of these songs will ever see the light of day...and many of them don't even have concrete melodies! - although some are very musically definite in terms of which way I'd run with them. Some are worshipful, some are frustrated, some are hopeful, some are scathing and even ironic. I just have so much dammed up inside of me. God knows it will be released at the right time.

And the question is am I even really musically inclined?...Kind of interesting having all these songs and not playing an instrument...furthermore, being a professed 'shower singer.' Though I won't post the lyrics, 'cause that'd be foolish, here's a list of the titles:

All You Are
Anything Else
Apparently
Authored My Salvation
Be
Beautiful Valley
Blind
Bound
Can You Hear Me?
Clinging On
Design
Dissolve
Down With Love
Elevator
Embarrassed of the Fire
Empty Hands
Enough to Captivate
Even Now I Haven’t Found the Treasure
Fear You
Foolishness
Forgetful Depths
Frail (Man in the Iron Mask)
Future Things
God of Them
Grace
Guitar’s Alive
Harshest Way
Hateful One
Her Lover
Here I Go
Hope Never Dies
Hoping for a Storm
Hurting People
Identity Crisis
Illusion
I’m Yet Mystified By You
Inquiries of a Freak (poem)
Jesus
Judgment
Keep Me Believing
Know
Lies
Look Upon
Lovely
Love You to Death
Make Some Noise
My Heart Is With You
Nothing But Dust
Oh Lord
One Nation Under God
Out of Things to Say
Prime of Life
Return to My First Love
Rose of Sharon
See You at Rephidim
Senseless Words
Show Me the Ring
Song of You
Sun and Shield
Tainted
Telling Me Please
The Glory of Rome
The Great I AM
This Is Your Song
This Time
Today
Trying to Hear
Verve and Velocity
Waiting for the Savior
War to the Hilt
What is Glory?
Where the Clouds Go
Zipporah

Feel the music...

Nothing better than a good album review, right? Anyhow, if you didn't know, delirious? (it's a band and yes the question mark belongs there) is my all-time favorite band. I reviewed their latest album World Service from December and it lies below...

Brilliant. Ferocious. Charming. Startling. Huge.

It’s impossible to sum up Delirious?’s sixth studio album in one word.

There’s one thing for sure, though.

WORLD SERVICE is unquestionably their best album yet.

With the intimacy of Cutting Edge, the honesty of King of Fools, the depth of Mezzamorphis, the mammoth sound of Glo, and the raw muscle of Audio Lessonover?, delirious? have finally done it. After years of, no doubt, transforming the Christian music scene with some of the most sublime tunes ever, the d:boys are finally offering a gem that proves they’ve found their place...in their own words, “happy to be part of God’s world service”...and, on their knees.

But to get beyond the hype, the Christianese expressions, the anesthetizing generalizations...WORLD SERVICE is anything but a genre-sensitive album. WORLD SERVICE presses past all old boundaries, annihilating every old impression you had of the band and presenting some really savory stuff.

What is the nature of the stuff? The fact is it simply cannot be classified as “rock,” “worship,” or “evangelistic.” “Contemporary” seems best...but the fact is the eclectic mix of sounds creates an atmosphere ethereal-bound, to say the least. The band - Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard, Stewart Smith, Jon Thatcher, and Tim Jupp - each contribute ingredients of the overall sonic panorama with keys, screeching guitars, and heart-pounding drum thumps.

As far as melodic specifics go, the music ranges from soft-spoken beauty to frenzied bedlam. Take the opening track, for example. A shrieking guitar opens the album, leading into a series of rising and falling guttural electric roars that blend harmoniously into a chorus of jingle-jangle guitar chords. Or compare two songs. Listen to I Was Blind, with its piano driven serenity, compared to the riotous ferocity of Feel It Coming On’s pungent live-for-the-moment guitar riffs.

And the lyrics - well, folks, truth is, they don’t come any better on a delirious? album, perhaps, in the world of music, period. While some songs are reflective with lines like “the sands of time have let me see Your faithful shadow next to me,” other songs are steamed with the drippings of divine euphoria, in anthemic choruses like “To God in Heaven be the glory.” Others still, mourn that “sorrow came quicker than a fire”, and a few seem to say senseless, happy things, like “You still captivate me fascinate me, saturate me, liberate me.”

From beginning to end, the listener takes a trek through territory that’s much “too high for us”:



GRACE LIKE A RIVER - With raw-sounding guitars seeming to hedge Martin in, the words “heaven played it’s symphony, I took Your hand, you rescued me” drive comfortably into a simple chorus about the grace of God. It’s a mind-boggling opening, really, a track that keeps the listener guessing, expecting the unexpected. A rollercoaster of textured guitars are the heart and soul of this album launch pad.



RAIN DOWN - “Doo-doo-doo” raindrops mark the beginning of an anthem that builds layers upon layers of fervent desire into the rip-roaring chorus. A steady bass line and drum beat provide the backdrop for meditative verses that crescendo in a techno-vocal cry, “Do not shut the heavens, but open up our hearts!” The song seems to spread like a wildfire till its sudden extinguishing at its fade out.



GOD IN HEAVEN - A thrashing rock beat opens up a modern hymn that packs in a powerhouse of energy, unlike anything delirious? has produced to date. Gentle poppy drum beats meander through filler verses that climax in the screamed chorus, “TO GOD IN HEAV’N BE THE GLORY!” Louder and louder, the songs looses itself to several layers of guitars exploding all at once. Through the cacophony the vocals seem to ride sonic currents into an atmosphere of pure abandon in worship. Never letting go until the end, God in Heaven is one of the boys’ best upbeat worship songs ever.



MAJESTY - Simple. Beautiful. A break from the holy madness of the previous 3 tracks. “I’m nothing but alive in your hands,” this grace song sings to God. Probing strings and juicy acoustic guitar, along with vocals latent with adoration, make this song’s 5 1/2 minute length seem much shorter than it is. Guaranteed to get you looking heavenward, Majesty uses sensitivity in melody to accomplish its serene serenade.



INSIDE OUTSIDE - One of the best tracks to come out of d:land. Soft guitar picking and a constant beat throughout the song is interrupted only by a juicy bridge and hauntingly catchy vocals. The guitar is handled with a certain sublime dexterity. Martin’s “youuuu stiiill captivate me, fascinate me” is a high point of the album, as are Stu G’s mysterious verse vocals. Very moody, but yet open-aired enough to allow plenty of meditation, I.O. is a tune that you surely won’t be able to get out of your head easily.



FREE - “I’m free to be the man you want me to be, I’m alive when I’m alive in You.” The guitar riff is really sweet and hearty. With another “big chorus,” this track drives slowly, but surely with its hazy verse guitar and hearty repetitive riff uses great economy at a time of just under 4 minutes.



EVERYONE KNOWS - A song that’ll make you smile...guaranteed. Acoustic-led and containing plenty of little orchestral poppy hooks that contain a rising and falling “sunrise, your eyes!” vocal, this track is a happy, country-influenced path whose gentle bass, happy-go-lucky strings, and pop sounds will have the tune in your head in no time. A definite “album song” that excels in its simplicity - which it’s proud of, thank you very much.



WITH YOU - Points the way to new musical directions, for sure. The continuous, pounding drum, stirring keyboards, and intermingled guitars create a track that yields a golden melody. “It’s OK, cos I’m with you, I’m with you, only you, to steal another day, is all that ‘s on my mind,” the vocalist declares in a chorus whose driving beat and prickly guitars eventually detonate a bomb of a bridge with classy, classy distorted vocals that simmer down then burst once again into a musical reprise. A really pleasant track to listen to; again, simple, but ingenuous in its catchiness.



MOUNTAINS HIGH - The soft piano leads into beats, which lead into raw emotion, which lead into frenzied guitars, which lead into crazed outbursts of sorrow suffered by the band at the loss of John Thatcher, Sr., relative and friend of the band. The frankness of the song draws the listener in as it works it way higher and higher into a shouted prayer to God to “make me, break, wake me up.” The vocals are ethereal and the lyrics are sensational.



I WAS BLIND - A titillating musical environment, stirring the senses with lovely piano and an underlying, understated chunk of flowing guitar. “I was broken, but you carried me.” The song meanders unapologetically, stuck on the phrase “Let it shine on us,” as a fine musical texture supports an environment pregnant with hope and appreciation.



FEEL IT COMING ON - Stunning. In every sense of the word. A rare find, a modern masterpiece. Unapologetically candid, the singer groans, “All I want is to see Jesus, just one touch and I’ll be free,” until he gets to the chorus, practically howling “I FEEL IT’S COMING ON!” With sensational guitar riffs, clever drum beats, and a wild, screaming vocalist crying out to God for deliverance from a leprous heart, this track grabs ahold of the heartstrings and never lets go. From the beginning, the listener gets the impression of one heck of a ride, with a benevolently agitating guitar strumming intensified by a background “whoooooooooooo!” The song builds and builds until it’s dumped in the hands of Mr. Stu Garrard, who gives the track a megadose of adrenalin with one of the best riffs he’s ever injected into a song’s lifeblood before. As it seems the song may burst at the seams, it settles down with a steady beat and Tim’s interspersed keys to Martin’s resounding “Hold me tonight!” Unbelievable.



EVERY LITTLE THING - An encouraging closer. Perfect mix of keys/light guitar. Boasts some of the best lyrics, with “I’ve built my house where the ocean meets the land. It’s time to live again, pull my dreams out of the sand.” The highlight is certainly the chorus, with its catchy enthusiasm, it’s reassuring optimism, its gentle vocals. A nice little jam session ensues in the catchy bridge until the reassuring vocals carry the song through to its end.



There’s not much more that can be said, folks. This is the product of God, a few saints, and one impressive instrument collection. Furthermore, it’s the product of a journey...though the path for delirious? has been long, hard, and even misunderstood, God’s grace has brought them thus far, finally to their definitive album. And that’s the grace that shudders in the very fiber of the beats and melodies of WORLD SERVICE. Whether it’s shouted, whispered, or hummed, that grace proves to be bigger than this world we’ll leave.



Review by Joshua Clayton

12/22/03

So there you have it. Buy the CD.

Well, let's start up this site.

Okay, here I am with...at least an hour to work on this "blog" thing.

Here's how it works.

You read, I write, you read, I write, I write you read. Right? Mm-hmm.

Here's something I write for you to read:

I just got back from Day #2 at my summer job at Sav-a-Center supermarket in beloved Slidell, Louisiana, USA. And you know what? Since I've somehow captured your interest, they started training me in the customer service department already...remember folks, I've had no previous employment experience except a car wash last summer.

So we can deduce two things:

1) God is good.

2) Life is weird.

Now, if the supermarket news wasn't enough to blow you away, here's something that really takes the cake:

I'm graduating from high school next Friday at 8 p.m.
And I'm giving the graduation speech.
And I'm kissing high school goodbye.
And I'm going to Louisiana State U. this fall.
And I'm happy and blessed.

And these are tremendouly great things that I'm sure the world of cyberspace rejoices to hear.

It's just another day and another couple of news items, folks. Stop dancing around your bedroom, sit back at your computer, and try to catch your breath. I know you share in my rejoicing, but please try to retain a semblance of calm and a facade of sanity.

Well now that I've started The Life and Times of Me off to a rather odd beginning, let me say that I will shortly be posting some mildly interesting stuff to get you acquainted with me.

Who is you, anyway? Some virus floating around in webspace, perhaps? Maybe the sasser worm my computer contracted recently and is now rid of, thank Heaven?

Well, even if no one reads this, I know that the Megabytes are one happy race of people. Share with me in my time of happiness and please do have a Barq's Root Beer.

Hello out there...

I finally created my own website, but I don't have anything to say or the time to say it. If you've somehow stumbled upon this blank spot in cyberspace, I apologize. And as always, HAVE A NICE DAY.